Street or station indicator.



PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

H. L. TOWLER. STREET 0R STATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION I'ILBD DEG. 21, 1903.

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PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

H. L. TOWLER. STREET 0R STATION INDICATOR.

APPLIDATION FILED DEC 21, 1903 7/7/26JJ6J, 4 1% a%@/MZ/ No. 782,997. I PATENTBD FEB. 21, 1905.

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STREET 0R STATION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION IILED DEC. 21, 1903.

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APPLICATION FILED DBO. 21, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented February 21, 1905.

HENRY L. TOVVLER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

STREET OR STATION INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,997, dated February 21, 1905.

Application filed December 21, 1903. Serial No. 185,971

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. TOWLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Streetor Station Indicators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention has for its especial object the provision of an improved street or station indicator; and to this end it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters inclicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 shows the improved indicator in front elevation. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section -through the device on the line a m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the device with some parts sectioned and with the end door of the case opened up, so as to expose to view the interior mechanism of the indicator. Fig. 4 is a detail showing the impelling-motor in plan and certain of its driving connections in horizontal section on the line-w a of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail in vertical section taken approximately on the lines of Fig. 3, some parts being broken away and others being removed. ig. 6 is a detail in vertical section on the line w of Fig. 2, some parts being diagrammatically illustrated. Fig. 7 is a detail view in plan showing one of the ribbon-rollers, some parts thereof being broken away; and Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric connections of the apparatus.

It will of course be understood that this indicator may be supported at any convenient point Within a car or other carriage to It may be here further stated that this device, while primarily intended for use as a street or station indicator, may be used for various other purposes such, for instance, as an advertising device for exhibiting in succession a variety of advertising matter.

In the construction illustrated the working parts of the device are placed within a rectangular case 1, having at each end a hinged door 2 and having in its front face a long and narrow glass section or pane 3. A pair of parallel ribbon-rollers 4 extend longitudinally within the case 1, their shafts being, as shown, journaled in bearing-brackets 6, rigidly secured to and within the case 1. These rollers 4 are hollow and are loosely mounted on their shafts 5, but are connected therewith by long coiled springs 7,which springs are so arranged that when the roller-shafts 5 are held stationary they will tend to turn the said rollers, the one in one direction and the other in an opposite direction.

The names or numbers of the streets or stations are marked on a long and wide ribbon 8, which at or near its edges is provided with a plurality of metallic eyelets 9. Radiallyprojecting pins 10 of an intermediately-located feed-roller 11 engage with the eyelets 9 of the ribbon 8 to impart a positive feed movement to both edges of said ribbon. The projecting trunnions of this feed-roller 11 are loosely journaled in projections 6 of the brackets 6, and one of the said trunnions is provided with a rigidly-secured spur-gear 12 and with a stop-disk 13, which disk is formed with a single lock-notch 14 for a purpose which will presently appear. A pair of studrollers or presser-wheels 15, carried by a shaft 16, engage the edges of the ribbon 8, as best shown in Fig. 5. These presser-wheels 15 are provided with wide and shallow grooves 17, that receive and clear the projecting portions of the eyelets 9 and are formed with deeper and narrower grooves 18, that afford clearance for the projecting points of the pins 01' teeth 10 of the roller 11. These grooved presser-wheels are thus formed so that they tightly press the eyelets 9 into engagement with the roller pins or teeth 10. The rollers 15 and their connecting-shaft 16 are pivotally mounted on screw-threaded cone-bearings 19, carried by the free ends of levers 20, shown as pivoted at their rear ends to small brackets 21 on the case 1. Coiled springs 22, attached to the free ends of the levers and to the bottom of the case 1. draw the prcsser-wheels 15 downward onto the edges of the ribbon 8 and tightly press the latter against the feedroller 11.

The feed-roller 11 is driven by a small electric motor located within the case 1 and, as shown, made up of field-magnets 23, an armature 24, and pole-pieces 25. The armatureshaft at one end carries the usual commutator 24, which cooperates with brush-contacts 26, and at its other end said armature-shaft carries a small pinion 27. The said armatureshatt is loosely mounted in non magnetic bearings 28, supported by the pole-pieces 25. The pinion 27 meshes with a relatively large spur-gear 29, secured on a small counter-shaft 30, which in turn is looselyjournaled in an approximately U -shaped bearing strap 31, rigidly secured to the adjacent bearing-bracket 6. A spur-pinion 32 is loosely journaled on the shaft 30 and is provided with a projecting friction-flange 33, between which and the face of the gear 29 is placed a pliable disk 34, preferably of leather. A coiled spring 35, compressed between the pinion 32 and a collar 36 on the shaft 30, causes the interposed friction-disk 34 to be quite tightly pressed between the said gear 29 and the flange 33 of said pinion. The important purpose of this frictional coupling will be again referred to later on. The pinion 32 meshes with an intermediate gear 37 which in turn meshes with the gear 12, carried by the feed-roller 11. This intermediate gear 37 is suitably journaled on the bearing-strap 31.

Normally the notch 14 of the stop-disk 13 is engaged by the detent 38 of a lock-lever 39, which lever, as shown, is pivoted at 40 to an insulated projection of one of the brackets 6 and is provided with a bell-crank extension 41. A coiled spring 42, connected, as shown,

.to the said bell-crank extension 41 and to a bracket 43, supported by an adjacent bearing-bracket 6, yieldingly maintains the above engagement of the detent 38 with the notch 14 of the stop-disk 13. The bracket 43 supports a solenoid or magnetic coil 44, which has a cooperating vertically-movable core 45, that is connected to the free end of the locklever 39 by a link 46 and in such manner that when the solenoid is energized it will draw the lock-lever 39 down and release the stopdisk 13. The extension 41 of the lock-lever 39 carries at its lower end a yielding electrical contact 47, which cooperates with a fixed contact 48 of an insulated supportingbracket 49.

Electric power to run the motor and to energize the solenoid may be furnished from any suitable source; but in the diagram view, Fig. 8, I have illustrated an arrangement wherein the current is supplied by a storagemay be employed.

cell 50. A lead-wire 51, in which is interposed a switch 52, connects one pole of the storage-cell to one terminal of the solenoid 44, and a return-lead 53 connects the other terminal of said solenoid with the other pole of the said storage-cell. The lead-wire 51 is connected by a wire 54, the bracket 49, contacts 48 47, arm 41, and wire 55 to two of the four contact-pegs56of a pole-changer 56 57. The lead-wire 53 is connected to the other two of the four contact-pegs 56 by a wire 58. One of the movable members 57 of the polechanger is connected to one of the brushes 26 by a wire 59, and the other movable member is connected to the other brush by a wire 60.

Operation: While I have in theillustration given shown a manually-operated switch or circuit-closer For making and breaking the circuit from the storage-cell or source of electrical energy, it will of course be understood that any suitable "form of switch or other circuit-breaker, either automatic or otherwise, \Vhen the switch 52 is open, it is of course evident that the tripping-solenoid 44 will be deenergized, and the electric motor will be thrown out of action. \Vhen the said switch is closed, the solenoid 44 will, as is evident, be energized, and by drawing down the core 45 and lock-lever 39 will release the stop-disk 13. This downward movement of the lock-lever 39 moves the depending arm 41 thereof far enough to throw the yielding contact 47 into engagement with the fixed contact 48, and thus close the circuit through the field and armature magnets of the motor, thereby throwing the said motor into action. It must be assumed that the switch 52 is closed but for an instant, but long enough to permit the motor to start and carry the notch 14 of the stop-disk 13 out of alinenient with the detent 38 of the lock-lever 39. Hence during the greater part of the rotation of the said stop-disk 13, the solenoid 44 being deenergized, the detent 38 will ride upon the periphery of the said stopdisk, being held in such contact by the spring 42. During this time, however, the yielding contact 47 will maintain contact with the fixed contact-screw 48, so that the circuit through the motor will remain closed and the motor will continue to operate. hen, however, the said stop-disk 13 has made one complete rotation, its notch 14 will be brought back into alinement with the detent 38, and the spring 42 will then throw the said detent back into engagement with the notch 14 thereof and will carry the contact 47 out of engagement with the contact 48, thereby breaking the circuit through the motor. By this action the stop-disk 13, feed-roller 11, and ribbon 8 will be brought to an abrupt stop; but the motor-that is, the armature thereof-- which is running ata relatively very high rate of speed, will be brought to a gradual stop,

IOE

being permitted to run ahead somewhat by slippage between the friction-disk 34 and the parts 33 and 29, between which it is pressed. The friction between the said parts, however, must be sufficient to cause the motor to drive the feed-roller l1 and move the ribbon 8. It will thus be seen that this friction or slipping coupling is an important feature, since it relieves the armature of the motor from sudden strains and prevents stripping of the teeth of the driving-gears, and especially of the armature-pinion 27.

From the above it will be seen that the amount of movement which will be given to the ribbon 8 is determined by one complete rotation of the feed-roller 11, and that there is no possibility of slippage between the said feed-roller and the said ribbon, and, furthermpre, that should the ribbon stretch slightly under continual use such stretching will not cause accumulative inaccuracy in the feeding of the ribbon, since the pins 10 would always engage with the predetermined eyelets 9. Under one direction of rotation of the feedroller 11 the ribbon 8 would be wound onto one of the ribbon-rollers and under a reverse direction of rotation of the said feed-roller would be wound onto the other of said ribbonrollcrs. The springs of said ribbon-rollers, acting in opposition to eachother keep both ends of the ribbon always drawn taut. The feed-roller 11 is of such size with respect to the distance between the street or station indications on the ribbon that one complete rotation thereof will move the said ribbon one space and will always leave the same stand with one of its markings exposed to view through the glass pane or section 3. Of course this arrangement may be varied. For instance, the said feed-roller 11 might be made twice the relative diameter illustrated and the stop-disk 13 might have two diametrically opposite notches 14. When one end of the line has been reached or whenever it is desired to reverse the direction of the indexribbon, this may be done by shifting the movable member 57 of the pole-changer so as to reverse the current through the armature of the motor, and thereby cause the said armatu re to run in a reverse direction. The motor employed is, of course, one in which the fieldmagnets are energized with a constant polarity. The construction and wiring of such motors being well understood, it is not deemed necessary for the purposes of this case to further illustrate the wiring of said motor.

From what has been said it will be understood that the mechanism described is capable of modification within the scope of my invention as herein set forth and claimed. For

instance, the spring or springs for causing the ribbon-rollers to rotate in reverse directions or for puttmg them under strain tendlng to rotate them in reverse directions might be applied in a great many different ways.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with an indicating element, and a motor for driving the same, of driving connections between the two, involving a positive stop for the former, and a frictional coupling permitting the latter to come to a gradual standstill, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with ribbon-rollers and a ribbon wound thereon, of an intermediate feedroller, a motor having driving connections to said feed-roller including a frictional coupling, and a positive stop for said feed-roller, said frictional coupling permitting said motor to come to a gradual standstill, substantially as described.

3. The combination with ribbon-rollers and a ribbon wound thereon, of a feed-roller acting on the intermediate portion of said ribbon, an electric motor having driving connections with said feed-roller including a frictional coupling and a notched stop-disk, a locklever cooperating with said notched stop-disk to lock said feed-roller, and a magnetic tripping device for releasing said lock-lever, substantially as described.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with ribbon-rollers and a ribbon wound thereon, of a feed-roller having pins or teeth engaging with perforations or eyelets of said ribbon, a motor having connec tions for driving said feed-roller, including a frictional coupling, and a positive stop for stopping the movement of said feed-roller, said frictional coupling permitting said motor to come to a gradual stop, substantially as described.

5. Ina device of the character described, the combination-with ribbon-rollers and a ribbon wound thereon, of a feed-roller having pins or teeth engaging with eyelets or perforations in said ribbon, an electric motor having connections to said feed-roller, including a frictional coupling and a notched stop-disk, a lock-lever cooperating with said notched stop-diskto lock said feed-roller, a magnetic trip for said lock-lever, and electric-circuit connections to said magnetic trip and to said motor, including a switch for closing the tripcircuit, and a movable contact carried by said lock-lever and movable thereby to close the motor-circuit under the releasing movement of said lock-lever, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY L. TOIVLER.

I/Vitnesses:

H- D. KILGORE, F. D. MnRonAN'r. 

